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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Product Review: Heinz Deliciously Gluten Free Pasta

We eat a lot of pasta at our house. In fact, when I first told my Dad my son had to go gluten free and explained what that entailed, his immediate response was "you mean he can't eat anymore pasta?" Pasta is a big deal to Italians, and so I'm constantly on the look-out for brands that make gluten free pasta taste as good as the regular kind. It's been hit and miss. Some brands are outright awful, while others have been as good as the real thing. Where I've been having trouble is finding a good spaghetti. For some reason, short pastas (like penne or rigatoni) tend to be better suited to the whole gluten free thing. Perhaps it's because they are less likely to stick together and get clumpy.

When my friend Penny came to Canada last month from England, she arrived on my doorstep with a bag of gluten free goodies for my son, all of which are unavailable in Canada at this time. One of the items was Heinz Deliciously Gluten Free Spaghetti. Obviously it was the first thing I had to try.

One of the things I noticed was the quantity. Many gluten free brands package small amounts of pasta per bag, making it necessary to use more than one bag of pasta for a meal that serves four. The Heinz pasta comes in a proper size, making a huge bowl of pasta. The product is made in Italy, from a blend of Corn flour, Potato flour, and Lupin flower. An interesting mix, but it works well.

I have to say, I was really impressed with this product. The pasta didn't clump while cooking, and didn't disintegrate into a blob once drained.

Each strand kept its texture, and the spaghetti cooked al dente, with just the right bite. An added bonus? The leftover pasta kept in the fridge and didn't turn rock hard and dry like some brands do. It kept it's texture perfectly.

Now they just have to start selling it in Canada. Or my friend has to ship it to me by the case ;) Are you reading, Penny?